Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn delivered her annual State of the City Address on Feb. 5 in City Hall, covering housing, zoning and transportation issues while reassuring residents about changes to federal policy. School Committee Vice Chair Jenny Graham and City Council President Zac Bears also provided updates from their respective body’s work.
Lungo-Koehn began her address by acknowledging the work Medford’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources offices had done to “build the strongest city team this city has ever had.”
Lungo-Koehn directly referenced the federal push to eliminate government DEI programs later in the speech, acknowledging residents’ concern about facing instability as a result.
“The effort to erase progress on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are literally contradictory to our values as a community,” she said. “I know our office of prevention and outreach team and DEI team is feeling strained, along with me, but these initiatives, and their passion and determination to make government as open and equitable as possible, is what drives us all.”
She discussed Medford’s current efforts to overhaul its zoning ordinance in order to allow for increased housing and mixed-use developments as well as improving environmental and urban sustainability. The plan is currently in Phase 2, which will identify areas in the city that require heightened focus.
Lungo-Koehn says that current zoning regulations are “antiquated” and that more can be done to improve efficiency throughout the project.
In addition to the rezoning, Lungo-Koehn wants to increase the city’s housing supply by creating an affordable housing trust and offering deferred payment loans as part of a pilot program.
“For our lower income residents in need of assistance, we’ve launched the Housing Rehabilitation Pilot Program which helps expand the availability of decent, safe and sanitary housing within the city. We offer low interest, deferred payments of up to $25,000 to low and moderate income homeowners,” she said.
She also discussed the need for modernization of the city charter, an issue that has faced significant debate in the City Council.
“How are we going to make this government work for us, instead of the other way around? It starts with making the city’s governing document, our charter, more reflective of the needs and priorities of the people and less reliant on outdated or ineffective procedures,” she said.
Lungo-Koehn closed her remarks by saying that she is motivated to strive for a perfect Medford despite the city’s ever-changing nature.
“This city means too much to all of us and our children, and it deserves the best from us all, and our best is what we will continue to give,” she said. “I promise.”
Graham started her remarks by recognizing the Medford Public Schools’ new interim superintendent, Dr. Suzanne Galusi.
“Dr. Galusi is no stranger to the work that we’ve been doing across MPS, and we are already seeing her leave her mark on the district,” she said.
Graham also addressed recent concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering schools to conduct raids.
“We need to work together as a community to protect our students, including those particularly vulnerable to attempts by the federal government to infringe upon their rights,” she said. “We don’t know yet what this work will look like, but we are bracing for a whole variety of scenarios, training our staff and keeping our leaders apprised of the ever-changing landscape.”
She also shared details of recent contracts settled by the city for staff in the schools.
“In the last year and a half, we’ve settled contracts with our custodians, our Kids Corner staff, our cafeteria workers, our administrators, our administrative assistants and our paraprofessionals,” she said.
Bears opened his remarks by sharing City Council’s efforts to make proceedings more accessible to the public.
“We are now broadcasting every meeting on YouTube, publishing a monthly City Council newsletter, using a modern agenda and meeting minutes portal and holding multiple listening sessions out in the community in addition to our official meetings,” he said.
Bears also reflected on the Proposition 2½ override votes that passed last November. Questions 7 and 8 were endorsed by the mayor and majorities of the School Committee and City Council.
Bears concluded by telling residents, “I look forward to advancing the honest truth about our financial situation and letting voters know the consequences of decades of underinvestment and deferred maintenance, as well as the material benefits we will see this year because of the voters’ approval to invest more in our schools, streets and sidewalks.”
